Favorable Place Research Articles

LOGISTICS DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF GEORGIA AND COVID 19

. In recent years, logistics have gained great importance both locally and internationally. The status of a "transit country" has long been an important precondition for the development of the economy and international relations of Georgia. With the growth of the economy, Georgia's function as a trans-Caucasian corridor has expanded. This is the shortest route connecting East Asia with the Europe. Significant railway, motorway and pipeline transport passes through the territory of Georgia – by means of which, it is possible to cheaply and efficiently transport goods from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea and vice versa. As a result of economic and infrastructural reforms carried out in recent years, the transport and logistics sector in Georgia has developed significantly, but not sufficiently yet. As a result of infrastructure modernization, simplification of customs procedures and liberalization of services in key sectors of the economy, the country's transit and logistics potential has been increased, providing better international connections with global markets. Georgia is currently modernizing and expanding its transport infrastructure, which includes a growing national expressway system, new rail routes, international airports and expanded seaports / terminals. At the same time, legislative approximation with the EU continues in the field of transport, which is a priority issue in the process of Georgia's European integration. The development of the country's infrastructure, transport, logistics, communications, energy, technology, education and financial hubs is important for realizing the potential. Donors are providing their assistance in achieving Georgia's logistics goals. With their help, the National Logistics Strategy of Georgia for 2021-2030 was prepared, which states that the logistics sector of Georgia is in the process of transformation. An important indicator of the state of the logistics sector in Georgia is the World Bank Logistics Index (LPI), where Georgia is not in the most favorable place (119th place among 160 countries). The Logistics Index reflects the vision of international service providers and business operators on how countries integrate into the global logistics network through their major trade gateways. Therefore, it reflects not only the changes throughout the country, but also problems associated with the access overseas. It should be noted that over the past decade Georgia has invested heavily in the development of road infrastructure, but logistics and intermodal infrastructure continues to be developed, resulting in low efficiency of maintenance of logistics system, relatively its high cost and less reliability of the logistics system, which negatively affects international transportation. COVID-19 has affected not only on the healthcare system, but also on global critical infrastructure, including transport and logistics. The start of pandemic highlighted a critical importance of transport and logistics systems, both on international and local level, which previously had not gained much attention. Despite the success achieved, number of problems has remained for transformation of Georgia into a regional transit and logistics hub. Efforts to improve transport infrastructure and services should continue until existing constraints are completely removed. Poor service quality, outdated logistics infrastructure and equipment, ineffective supply chain management, as well as disorganization of personnel and their poor qualification are not a complete list of problems. An effective and consistent policy for the development of transport and logistics will make Georgia more attractive for investment and improve the country's economic potential.

The history of Abies pinsapo during the Holocene in southern Spain, based on pedoanthracological analysis

The aim of this research is to reconstruct the ancient distribution area of Abies pinsapo Boiss. (Spanish fir) in the Serranía de Ronda region, southern Spain, during the Holocene. The main method was pedoanthracological analysis, the study of non-archaeological charcoal found in natural soils. In this research a total of 37 soil excavations were done in several mountain ranges with potentially favourable places for firs to have grown in the past. Specific sites and places such as hillsides, endorheic basins (with no outflow), sinkholes, summits and mountain passes were selected on the basis of evidence from a range of different sources including ancient documents, pollen studies and species distribution models. The soil samples collected from these sites were prepared in the laboratory and the charcoal was identified and radiocarbon dated. Statistical and cartographic analyses were also done. The study revealed evidence of past populations of Abies sp. in places where it is no longer found today. A total of 47 different chronologies were obtained from these sites with ages ranging between 9,931 cal bp and 78 cal bp. In addition, the wide variations in the charcoal values enabled us to make an initial estimate of the importance of ancient forest fires in different places in the Serranía de Ronda. When this information has been considered with all the other available data sources, it will be an essential resource for the efficient management of relict fir woods in southern Spain.

Bacteriological Examination of Used Towels from Female and Male Hostel of Federal University of Lafia

Bath towels have the ability to retain microbes, moist and warm environment offers microbes a favorable place to grow and survive. These microbes can be transmitted through direct contact with our hands and other inanimate objects within the environment. This study aimed at examining bacterial contamination of used towels. Used towels from male and female hostels at Federal University of Lafia, were assessed to determine their bacterial concentration. A total of sixteen (16) used towels were sampled, eight towels each from female and male hostels were sampled between April and May 2021. Identification and characterization of bacterial isolates was carried out using standard cultural, morphological and biochemical methods. Pseudomonas spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, Micrococcus spp, Serratia sp and Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus were identified as contaminants in the towel samples analyzed. The female towels assessed in this study had the highest number of colonies with 4.39 x 109, while the male towels had the least number of colonies 3.88 x 109. Male and female towels sampled were all contaminated, but with no significant difference in the contamination rates (p>0.05). Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus were the most prevalent organisms isolated from male (62.5%; 5/8) and female (100%; 8/8) towels respectively. The high prevalence of diverse bacterial species is worrisome considering the epidemiology and clinical importance of the isolates, compounded by antimicrobial resistance and high mortality rate. Hence, there is need to enforce and improve hygiene practice among students. Frequent washing of towels and use of medicated soaps and disinfectants in bathing and washing water is hereby canvassed.

Sustainable Development and Green Economy: The Analysis of the Dynamics of the Energy Structure from Renewable Energies in Romania Through the Markov Chains Method

The climate changes increase the existing risks and generate new types of risks both for the natural systems and, directly or indirectly for the humanity. For the people from the vulnerable communities, the risks are higher, irrespective of the development degree. The communities from the rural environments are affected by the risks of the climate changes due to the need of relocating the agricultural activities in other less favorable places. The green economy is considered the main means through which sustainable development can be attained, taking not account the ecologic limits of the planet. On a national level, the most representative branch of the green economy is represented by the energy production sector from renewable energy. There is a total number of 639 of companies within this industry which exploit the four types of resources offered by our country to produce electric energy. T The article is structured on three parts: therefore, in the first part we did a research of the reference literature on the concepts of sustainable development and the green economy, in the second part we analyzed the renewable resources used for the energy production in Romania and the structure of the energy from renewable energies, in the period 2010 – 2020, studying at the end of the paper the dynamics of the energy structure from renewable resources with the help of the Markov chains method.

The Effects of the Management Strategies on Spruce Bark Beetles Populations (Ips typographus and Pityogenes chalcographus), in Apuseni Natural Park, Romania

The population densities of I. typographus and P. chalcographus inside the Carpathian Mountains increasing mostly because of the non-synchronized and divers management strategies. The growing loss of trees from one year to another indicates assessment to determine the influence of the current management practices (or the absence of such) on bark beetle densities. A comprehensive tree-year assessment were made inside the Apuseni Natural Park, with a surface of 75,784 ha, to assess the population density of bark beetles. High abundance of both species were detected from one year to another, both in managed and unmanaged forests, the latter explained by the presence of scattered wind falling trees which represent favorable places for oviposition. General linear modelling revealed that the effect of environmental variables (forest mean age, forest density, altitude and slope) on I. typographus density were only significant under management systems, and only forest age has significantly negative effect on bark beetles densities. Overall, we conclude that there is little difference in population between non-intervention and intervention areas and even over a relatively short period of time (2011–2013), the population of both species expanded, and new uninfected habitats were infected both in unmanaged and managed forests, therefore a synchronized management system has to be developed. Climate variables as temperature and precipitations has more significant effects on population density than management.

The impact of perceived risk and disease prevention efficiency on outdoor activities and avoidance behaviors in the urban parks during COVID 19 pandemic

PurposeCOVID 19 has had a profound effect on peoples’ activities and the use of public spaces. Before the COVID 19 pandemic urban parks, as healthy places, were of the most favorable places for urban citizens, but nowadays no vitality is found in urban parks due to the absence of people. The perceived risk seems to affect peoples’ decision-making for the visit to urban parks. This study aims to examine the impact of COVID 19 perceived severity and vulnerability on peoples’ visit to the urban parks and further exercise avoidance. It is expected that the result of this study would shed light on the people’s perception of healthy urban parks to exercise during COVID 19.Design/methodology/approachThe participants were recruited from a neighborhood with the greenest and largest parks in Iran that were selected for the study. It was to assure that participants have access to the urban parks within their walkable distance. The mixed-method approach was applied to achieving the research goals. A total of 404 participants attended the survey. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the strategies that reduce peoples’ worries about using urban parks during the COVID 19. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS.FindingsThe study hypothesized that peoples’ awareness of COVID 19 affects their perceived risk and disease prevention efficiency. Besides, it was hypothesized that perceived risk and efficacy effects outdoor activities worries exercise avoidance and behavioral avoidance in the urban parks. The result of the study supported the research hypothesis. The more knowledge people acquire of COVID 19 and the lack of efficacy of treatments, the higher they will avoid outdoor activities and exercise. The means of knowledge and perceived risk were higher than previously reported studies.Originality/valueThe result of this study is very important, as it statistically proves that peoples’ priorities and factors that affect their willingness to use public spaces are very much affected by their perception of a healthy environment. It also canonizes the role of facility managers in bringing peoples’ trust in the use of public spaces and more specifically urban parks during pandemic disease distributions.

An Application of the Internet of Things on Sustainable Aquaculture System

Hydroponics is one of the human significant food sources. This paper proposed the model of the system, Feasible Fish-Farming System (SFFS), which can make the water cultivating framework more practical, employing applying the Internet of things (IoT) to lessen the need for energy for controlling the climate. Little freshwater fish species (SFFs) (length <25 cm) are exceptionally plentiful in nutrient A, calcium, iron and so on and consequently can add to social wellbeing through a supplement to country networks. Under the pressing factor of broad current rural practices and aimless collecting, loads of SFFs are step by step declining, and their environments and favourable places are likewise being crumbled at a quicker rate. A superior protectionist approach could be the carp-SFFS combination which will decrease aimless mass catch fishing of SFFs and will guarantee the preservation of normal SFFs stocks in their territories giving financial advantage to partners. Various investigations have effectively showed an example of overcoming adversity of SFF polyculture through carp—SFFs joining. This creation cum preservation practice prompts manageability—a superior term in the fishery is 'social fishery'. The part that needs consideration is the taking care of nature of SFFs to comprehend inside and between species (with carps) food apportioning and living space inclination as better culture cum conservational approach. Exploration in hydroponics is a contribution to increment settled creation. In the last decade, different researchers have supported attempts that came about in advancing current creation advances that have altered homestead creation. Fish developing is having the chance to be a champion among the most remunerating ambitious activities on account of the low advancement, insignificant exertion course of action-adventure and the 3 to half-year gathering cycles. IoT advancements have altered homestead creation in the country. In this paper, we propose an idea to distinguish far off observing the fish cultivating framework by utilizing the different sensors to diminish the dangers. In this paper, we utilize different sensors like pH worth, temperature and level sensors. By utilizing these sensors, all the work is mechanized, and it will likewise be not challenging to screen the fish cultivating distantly from other areas. The SFFS coordinates the sun-based homestead and fish-ranch to lessen the additional energy input. Furthermore, the lighting of LEDs is utilized to help the photosynthesis in the evening. This way is more energy-proficient than the customary siphoning. Besides, this model shows the subjective accessibility of SFFS.

Susceptibilidade natural à erosão nas áreas de pastagem da sub-bacia hidrográfica do ribeirão Santa Cruz, no município de Muniz Freire (ES)

Livestock, although it has significant economic relevance, is the cause of several problems related to erosion. This fact becomes even more worrying in the context of a hydrographic basin. Thus, the objective of this work was to assess the natural vulnerability to erosion in the pasture areas of the hydrographic sub-basin of the Santa Cruz stream (HBSCS), in order to support improvements related to soil conservation associated with local economic productivity. The procedures took place with the aid of the ArcGIS® geographic information system. The cartographic databases were the websites of GEOBASES, the National Water Agency and the Jones dos Santos Neves Institute. Initially, HBSCS was delimited to later acquire features (vector files) related to the location of pastures covered by HBSCS. The Universal Soil Loss Equation was used to estimate potential erosion. For this, the following data were obtained: erosivity, erodibility, ramp length and slope. Erosion was mapped, quantified and classified. The natural intensity of erosion ranges from 0 ton/ha.year to 6814 ton/ha.year, with an arithmetic mean of 569.740 ton/ha.year and standard deviation equal to 345.013 ton/ha.year. The class with the highest intensity is “moderate to strong”. However, when combined, the “moderate to strong” and “strong” classes comprise 65.666%. The lower intensity classes, “weak” and “moderate”, together, represent only 33.652%. The values can be attributed, mainly, to the ignorance on the part of the rural producers about the most favorable places for the installation of pastures. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to adopt measures favorable to soil conservation, such as the correct management of livestock, especially in areas with a greater erosive tendency. It is expected that studies with a similar theme will continue, considering, for example, the influence of management on HBSCS erosion.

The modern urban environment: development trends and prospects

The government has been paying attention to the issues of creation and implementation of comfortable physical, psychological and social conditions in the urban environment. In this regard, in order to increase competitive advantages and improve the sustainable development of urban areas, it is necessary to revise principles of city management, implement new approaches to the urban environment design, build new facilities, and develop programs for implementing advanced technologies. These goals can be achieved by moving into the existing spaces of “smart” cities. Innovative proposals and modern technologies are an integral part of any territorial development project. Smart cities operate at the intersection of digital technologies, breakthrough innovations and an urban environment, which should be a comfortable zone for work and life and a favorable place for implementing modern ideas. At the same time, innovative technologies implemented into the urban environment should not be a sign of scientific and technological progress. Their main purpose is to create territories with the sustainable use of existing opportunities and to focus on high quality public spaces interacting with citizens.

Con Dao’s Geo-Economic and Geopolitical Position: Approaching From the Competition Between Western Countries (XVII - XIX Centuries)

Thanks to the characteristics of an archipelago consisting of many small islands in the East Sea, separated from the mainland, Con Dao has a particularly essential position in politics, military, and economy for Vietnam and many countries in history and present. Due to the abundance and diversity of natural resources, it was located in an important position on international trade routes, since the middle period, Con Dao was not only a favorable place to build centers trade or transshipment warehouse linking the East with the West but also helps to link and shorten the journey to countries within Asia. In the strategic vision of Western countries (from XVII century), Con Dao is an essential point in trade activities, contributing to control and domination of the maritime route from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean as well as to ensure the exclusive right to exploit and accumulate capital in this area. Thus, in the XVII and XIX centuries, both Britain and France competed to monopolize Con Dao towards the goal of gaining an economic and political advantage in the strategy of expanding the sphere of influence outside Europe. Through the interpretation of the Western countries’ competition to monopolize Con Dao, this article aims to clarify the unique geo-economic and geopolitical position of this archipelago; thereby, there is a connection between the role and position of Con Dao in Vietnam’s development strategy in the current context.

PRESCHOOL CHILDREN'S PLAY SPACE: THE PLACE AND ROLE OF ADULTS

The article analyzes the play space of a preschool child. Psychological features of game development in preschool childhood are determined. Using methods of analysis, generalization and systematization of information about the child's play space, the component of development (social, emotional, cognitive, physical and motor) of the preschooler is analyzed and its main types, forms and functions are indicated. The priority tasks to be solved by educators to create a favorable play environment for children are outlined. It is clarified that the arrangement of the group room and its appearance are important because they affect the behavior of the preschooler. The creation of a play environment in ZDO and family is described. The article highlights the urgency of the problem of organizing play activities in the educational process of a modern preschool institution. The article substantiates the importance of the child's play space. The developmental significance of the game and the reasons for its reduction in preschool education are considered. Among the advantages of the game as an activity are independence, emotional involvement and spontaneity of the child's actions. Particular attention is paid to the adult (parents, educator) and his place and role in this activity. The results of the research on the play space (both indoors and outdoors) where preschool children need it are substantiated. Among the favorable places where children can be, the locations are determined, the determining factors of which are: safety, trust, openness, adult understanding of the child's worldview; manifestation of emotions and feelings by the child during the game; independence. It is emphasized that the peculiarity of creating a play environment is the freedom of children to choose their own activities, which, in turn, develops the complexity of their game, as well as encourages constant play.

Dynamics in hydrated inorganic nanotubes studied by neutron scattering: towards nanoreactors in water.

Water dynamics in inorganic nanotubes is studied by neutron scattering technique. Two types of aluminosilicate nanotubes are investigated: one is completely hydrophilic on the external and internal surfaces (IMO-OH) while the second possesses an internal cavity which is hydrophobic due to the replacement of Si–OH bonds by Si–CH3 ones (IMO-CH3), the external surface being still hydrophilic. The samples have internal radii equal to 7.5 and 9.8 Å, respectively. By working under well-defined relative humidity (RH) values, water dynamics in IMO-OH was revealed by quasi-elastic spectra as a function of the filling of the interior of the tubes. When one water monolayer is present on the inner surface of the tube, water molecules can jump between neighboring Si–OH sites on the circumference by 2.7 Å. A self-diffusion is then measured with a value (D = 1.4 × 10−5 cm2 s−1) around half of that in bulk water. When water molecules start filling also the interior of the tubes, a strong confinement effect is observed, with a confinement diameter (6 Å) of the same order of magnitude as the radius of the nanotube (7.5 Å). When IMO-OH is filled with water, the H-bond network is very rigid, and water molecules are immobile on the timescale of the experiment. For IMO-OH and IMO-CH3, motions of the hydroxyl groups are also evidenced. The associated relaxation time is of the order of 0.5 ps and is due to hindered rotations of these groups. In the case of IMO-CH3, quasi-elastic spectra and elastic scans are dominated by the motions of methyl groups, making the effect of the water content on the evolution of the signals negligible. It was however possible to describe torsions of methyl groups, with a corresponding rotational relaxation time of 2.6 ps. The understanding of the peculiar behavior of water inside inorganic nanotubes has implications in research areas such as nanoreactors. In particular, the locking of motions inside IMO-OH when it is filled with water prevents its use under these conditions as a nanoreactor, while the interior of the IMO-CH3 cavity is certainly a favorable place for confined chemical reactions to take place.

Black Women, Indigent Medical Care, and Academic Medical Politics, 1950–1965: The Case of Birmingham, Alabama

Black Women, Indigent Medical Care, and Academic Medical Politics, 1950–1965:The Case of Birmingham, Alabama Charlotte G. Borst (bio) A "Negro child" had been born "'like an animal'" on the front lawn of the city's University Hospital, the Birmingham News reported on December 14, 1958, in a front-page story that seemed a modern reenactment of the biblical Christmas story. The paper explained that the mother, who was not named, but whom I shall refer to as Mary, had been turned away from the academic medical center's hospital because it had imposed "rigid charity regulations" that provided few maternity beds for poor Black mothers. Indeed, these regulations were so strictly enforced that the hospital's staff was even barred from offering Mary aid as she labored and delivered her baby on the lawn.1 Although Alabama and the city of Birmingham historically had supported what historian Sam Bass Warner Jr. has identified as "the [End Page 467] American tradition of privatism," where the quest for private gain prevented the establishment and support of public amenities, the very public display of such a failure of the welfare system, and the obvious nature of Mary's humiliation and degradation at the feet of an academic medical center, elicited significant coverage in the state's newspapers.2 Most people would not have been surprised—in 1951, a Black woman named Emma Dangerfield had died in the waiting room of Birmingham's Jefferson Hospital (part of the University Hospital complex) after being denied entrance.3 As the provider of 95 percent of the area's total indigent medical care in the 1950s, University Hospital was locked in a fierce debate with both local and state officials over the lack of sufficient public funds for the support of the sick poor. Long before becoming part of the university's medical school, this county-owned facility had served white poor and paying patients, as well as Black indigent-care patients, who were housed in segregated wards. Black middle-class patients who could pay mostly received their care in other private but segregated hospitals in Birmingham. Indigent care for all patients was reimbursed through [End Page 468] county funding. But when the county sold the hospital to the University of Alabama in 1945 (in exchange for county indigent-care subsidies), the hospital's mission changed from serving members of the community to providing medical education as well as charity care.4 The reasons Mary was left on the lawn to labor reflected three intertwining changes in the South—not just in Birmingham or Alabama—in the post–World War II era. One was the role that medical schools and their associated hospitals played in the South's postwar strategies for economic development. The rise of and resistance to the expanding civil rights movement and its link to the racialized and gendered history of southern welfare policy were two other key fundamentals. These elements help explain Mary's story, and she provides a human face for the larger argument in this article: that it is only when we braid multiple historiographies together—the economic development fostered by hospitals and medical centers that followed a particular trajectory unique to the South's economic history; the very particular gendered racialization of welfare that was tied to the history of segregation; and the complicated and evolving history of massive white resistance—that we can understand why modern medical facilities in the postwar South succeeded in economic ways for some people but failed to bring health-care equity to women like Mary and her children.5 Even in the twenty-first century throughout the South, Black neonatal mortality is twice that of white infants.6 This story is particularly evident in Birmingham. At the end of World War II, challenged by the economic, social, and political upheaval of the war years, local political, business, and social [End Page 469] leaders tried to set a new agenda for the South. They understood that their region lagged behind much of the rest of the country economically, and their political rhetoric echoed a determination to catch up and establish the South as a favorable place for new industry.7 Attracting industry...

Туризм как драйвер инновационного развития сельской территории (на примере сельского поселения Заречное Великоустюгского района Вологодской области)

Currently, a significant part of the rural territories of the regions of Russia is characterized by low production potential, a low level of agricultural development. For such territories, tourism could be the driver of socio-economic growth and innovative development in time. It was therefore increasingly important to develop a conceptual approach to rural development based on tourism innovations, which was the aim of the study. To achieve the goal, the following methods were used: conceptual approach to rural development, economic and statistical methods, sociological survey, expert assessment, data capture and other methods of analysis and synthesis. The results of the survey: an analysis of the socio-economic situation of the rural territory was carried out on the example of the rural settlement of Zarechnoye in the Veliko-Ustyug district of the Vologda region, the main problems were identified: demographic and infrastructural, as well as a low level of productive potential. Based on the analysis, a conceptual approach to rural development was proposed through the development of tourism innovations. The conceptual goal is to increase the attractiveness and innovative development of the rural settlement of Zarechnoye based on its natural and cultural and historical potential. The projects proposed within the framework of the approach were aimed at improving and increasing the attractiveness of the territory for internal (local population) and external entities — investors, tourists, to promote the settlement in the external environment as a promising area for life and a favorable place for recreation. The target indicators for the development of rural settlement had been set: an annual increase in the number of residents registered on the territory of the settlement, and the formation of a stable inbound tourist flow. Scientific novelty: the originality of the author’s conceptual approach to the development of rural areas was determined by the possibility of their integrated development through the creation of a coastal tourist and recreational zone, which made it possible to fully realize the cultural, historical and natural potential of rural settlements. Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used by regional and local authorities and management to develop programs and projects for the development of tourist activities in rural areas. Conclusion: The study suggests that the creation of tourist and recreational areas in rural areas, taking into account the cultural and natural heritage of settlements, will contrib¬ute to the effective realization of their tourism potential and can become an incentive for innovative development of rural areas in modern conditions.

Major Characteristics of Surface Sediments Within the Shallow Water of the Cat Ba Island, North Vietnam

The Cat Ba is one of the largest Islands offshore North Vietnam, which is characterized by an abundance of coral reefs in the East and Southeast of the island. The surface sediments are considered the basic elements for the coral ecosystem development. In this study, the authors present some new results studying pH, Eh, mineral composition, and grain size as the basic information for environmental assessment of this area. The results show that the pH value of the surface sediment varies from 6.90 to 8.09, with an average of 7.24 while the Eh value of the sediment ranges from -121.10 to -48.20mV, an average of -68.39mV, demonstrating a reducing environment. The surface sediments have been classified into 8 size classes: the coarse silt > very coarse silt > medium sand, very fine sand > very coarse sand, fine sand > coarse sand, very fine gravel. Most of the sediments are poorly sorted - very poorly sorted, only a few sedimentary samples are well sorted, moderately sorted, and moderately well sorted. The average mineral composition of the surface sediments consists of: 25% quartz, 17% illite, 16% aragonite, 13% kaolinite, 10% calcite, 5% chlorite, 4% gothite, 3% halite, 2% feldspar and less montmorillonite, and dolomite. These results allowed the researcher to interpret that the sediments have been deposited in a relatively calm environment and the terrigenous sediment sources are dominant over the marine sources. Source marine sediment groups are characterized by coarse grains, high pH, and are rich in carbonate minerals, which have been produced by biological materials. In contrast, the terrigenous sediment group is dominated by fine-grained sediments, rich clay minerals, quartz, and gothite. These fine-grained sediments are commonly distributed in the area and are favorable places for pollutant accumulation.

Where to find questing Ixodes frontalis ticks? Under bamboo bushes!

Tick-borne diseases have a complex epidemiology that depends on different ecological communities, associating several species of vertebrate hosts, vectors and pathogens. While most studies in Europe are focused on Ixodes ricinus, other Ixodes species may also be involved in the transmission or maintenance of pathogens. This is the case of Ixodes frontalis, a poorly known species associated with different bird species such as blackbirds, thrushes and robins, with a wide distribution covering most European countries.In a previous study, high densities of questing I. frontalis larvae were found during autumn-winter at a site close to Nantes (western France) where a long-term survey focused on I. ricinus was conducted. These I. frontalis were mostly observed under bamboo bushes. In the present study, we investigated the presence of I. frontalis under bamboo bushes at various locations. With that aim in mind, a systematic search for questing I. frontalis was undertaken by the flagging method in public urban parks and private gardens presenting bamboo bushes (32 sites). This survey was carried out during autumn-winter to maximize the probability of finding the most abundant stage, i.e. larvae. We searched for I. frontalis first in the area of Nantes (10 sites), then in other regions of France (21 sites) and at one site in northern Italy. A single visit to each site revealed the presence of I. frontalis at 29 out of 32 sites: larvae were always present, nymphs were frequent (59 % of the positive sites), while adults were found at only 14 % of the sites. Questing stages of this understudied species are thus easy to find, by dragging or flagging under bamboo bushes in autumn or winter. We make the assumption that bamboo offers a favourable place for birds to roost overnight outside their breeding period (i.e. spring), sheltered from both predators and wind. This would explain higher densities of I. frontalis under bamboo, relative to other biotopes.As I. frontalis is known to harbour zoonotic pathogens, the consequences of this discovery on the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases are discussed.

Editorial - year end note

On behalf of the editorial board and the entire value chain including authors, reviewers, and staff, I am delighted to present the Volume 9 Number 3 edition of the of the African Journal of Gender, Society and Development (AJGSD). This is the last issue for 2020 and marks the end of my first year as guest editor. It is therefore a time of reflection and an opportunity to thank all the people who have contributed in one way or another to the success of the journal over the year. First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the authors who have continued to display their unwavering support to the journal with an ever-increasing rate of high-quality submissions. I say a big thank you to all our esteemed authors and hope they will continue to choose AJGSD as their favored place of publication.

Tectonic evolution and gas control analysis of the Upper Palaeozoic tight sandstone reservoirs in the Linxing area of the eastern Ordos Basin

Low‐amplitude structures and volcanic intrusion diapir structures are developed in the Upper Palaeozoic in the LX (Linxing) area, eastern Ordos Basin, China. However, the tectonic evolution of this area and its gas control effect were not clear. In this article, taking the LX area, eastern Ordos Basin as an example, the tectonic evolution and palaeostructure of the Upper Palaeozoic were restored using a large number of drilling, logging, and seismic data. The acoustic wave time difference method was used to calculate the denudation thickness of the unconformity surface (T3y‐Q, Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation‐Quaternary). The calculated results showed that the denudation thicknesses mainly range between 1,000 and 2,500 m. The tectonic evolution model of the Upper Palaeozoic strata since the end of the Triassic period was established using the balanced cross‐section technique, and the palaeo‐tectonic pattern of the target layer in the early stage of the Early‐Cretaceous epoch was restored. The strong buckling tectonic activities of the Zijinshan Pluton provided the main driving force for the deformation of the Upper Palaeozoic rock mass. Finally, the coupling relationship between the ancient and current structural patterns of the target layer, and the distribution of commercial gas wells was compared. The results show that high parts of the palaeo‐tectonic structures are favourable places for the large‐scale accumulation of tight sandstone gas, and the current structure plays a certain role in adjusting the distribution of tight sandstone gas.

Investigation of the mono vacancy effects on the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of graphene hexagonal-boron nitride in-plane hybrid embracing diamond shaped graphene island

The preparation of an atomically thin sheet of graphene/h-BN (GBN) hybrid with lack of defects is almost unachievable as in three dimensional crystals. Here, we first discussed the stability and electronic properties of GBN hybrid nanosheet which is formed by implanting a diamond shaped graphene (G) island into the hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layout. We further investigated the effects of mono vacancy on the electronic and magnetic properties of defective GBN nanosheet. The band gap of pristine hybrid decreases with growing G island as expected and the island induces flat (dispersionless) energy bands near the Fermi energy of the h-BN nanosheet. We searched for the energetics of 7 distinct C, B and N mono vacancies created at various places such as h-BN region, G region and interface of the optimized pristine hybrid. The G-BN interface is found as the energetically most favourable place for vacancy formation. Depending on the size of the graphene island, the C vacancy is the most favourable defect type in our DFT calculations. The N vacancy is energetically preferred over the B vacancy due to its lower formation energy with the exception of biggest G island. Although pristine hybrids are non-magnetic semiconductors, the GBN hybrid can become magnetic with a reasonable amount of magnetic moment depending on the type of vacancy and vacancy site. The vacancy defected hybrids also show the properties of semiconductor except for the hybrid involving the smallest size island with the B vacancy in the h-BN layout (VBL). Defected hybrids involving the smallest G island have the highest amount of band gaps due to high ratio of carbon atoms at the interface to the island interior. Accordingly, the band gap tends to decrease with expanding G island. However, the band gap of VBL defected structures broadens with increasing size of island interestingly. Moreover, this defected hybrid introduces the greatest amount of magnetic moment (3 μB) as the island expands. The C vacancies in the G island and around the N atom introduce a magnetic moment of 2 μB as the G island expands as well. The magnetic moment of the N vacancy defected hybrid is 1 μB irrespective of island size. The vacancy defect leads local in-plane/out-of-plane distortions rather than structural reconstructions in our calculations. In general, no correlation was observed between the island size and the magnetic moment of a defective hybrid.

Broadening democracy against environmental justice: The example of Montreal borough councils

In this reflection, through observation of citizen participation in several local Montreal municipal councils, I examine whether and how people discuss environmental issues. More specifically, I seek to determine whether the politicization of environmental issues favours the expression of environmental justice. I use this term to refer to the social dimension of environmental questions, given that people of different social classes or identities are not affected by environmental issues in the same way. Does the politicization of environmental issues reproduce an unjust social order or does it encourage the struggle against inequalities? The answer reached here underlines the predominance of politicization through the challenging of democratic processes rather than a substantive politicization (where citizens debate the content of issues and discuss values or identities), which hinders the emergence of environmental justice. This study makes two contributions. First, it points out that, beyond conflict, addressing the avenues that conflict takes is vital. Second, while most analyses consider environmental justice within civil society organizations and on the “margins”, this reflection tackles environmental justice within institutions themselves, namely the favoured places of production of social norms. Apprehending the role of institutions in the politicization of environmental issues is, thus, crucial to highlighting some aspects of social framing and the place of environmental issues in society.